


Air of Hearts

by belivaird_st



Category: Carol (2015), The Price of Salt - Patricia Highsmith
Genre: 1950’s, Costumes, Department Stores, Dreams, F/F, Halloween
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-15
Updated: 2018-10-15
Packaged: 2019-08-02 15:41:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16307978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/belivaird_st/pseuds/belivaird_st
Summary: Carol goes downtown shopping with Harge’s mother to try and find the last piece of clothing that goes with Rindy’s Halloween costume.





	Air of Hearts

Wilbur’s Department Store, New York

“These pearls are just lovely!” Harge’s mother exclaimed, holding up a brand new string set of pearls. “How fetching would they look on you, Carol!”

Carol rolled her eyes the moment Jennifer reached over to press the pearls up against her cardinal red wide scoop collar blouse for a long minute before placing it back inside the box. The shop counter lady smiled as she closed the lid shut to hide it away. The actual display of the pearl necklace was left behind a glass case on a satin pillow next to the other pieces of fine jewelry. 

Carol hugged her pale fur coat and purse close to her and started moving along. Jennifer hurried after her with her heels clopping loudly across the wooden sales floor.

“We didn’t come to shop for me,” Carol said, politely dismissing the fragrance vendors offering her new samples of their product. “We’re shopping for Rindy’s Halloween costume, remember?”

“Oh yes, that’s right,” Jennifer said, grinning up at a tall slick-haired, well-suited gentleman that offered to spray her from a crystal bottle of Chanel perfume. She pushed back the sleeve of her peacock feathered coat to stick her bare wrist out. The vendor squirted a couple of puffs that got her to take a whiff of the mulberry flavored scent.

“My! That’s divine!” The mother-in-law cried. She thanked the vendor while Carol stopped a few feet away to wait for her. “What, uh, does Rindy want to be again?”

“Amelia Earhart,” Carol replied. “She’s already got the scarf and jacket, but just needs the goggles and hat.”

“Amelia Earhart,” Jennifer snorted. “What has she done to become so special?” 

Carol grabbed hold of the wooden stair banister to make her way down the steps to the children’s room where they’ve kept all the coats, boots, gloves, hats and scarves. “Miss Earhart has done plenty. She was the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean back in 1928, and the Pacific, too. She has inspired millions of girls, all over the world, to pursue in their dreams and to make them come true!”

“Nonsense,” Jennifer laughed softly and waved her hand in the air. Carol kept moving towards the girls’ ribbons & headbands section that were next to the shoes. She began to search for a small aviator helmet with goggles— the last missing piece Rindy needed for her costume. Jennifer went over to pick up and hold some of the silk sashes hung on a metal rack to dote on and admire.

“Rindy doesn’t need some missing dead pilot to help her follow her dreams! How sad to have such poor influence.”

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t just hear that,” Carol murmured. She walked over to a young woman pulling out some 3-to-5-year-old sizes of Sunday school dresses from a cardboard box. “Excuse me...?”

“Yes? How may I help you?”

“I’m looking for an aviator helmet with goggles for my daughter’s Halloween costume,” Carol explained. “I don’t think I’m seeing any here.”

“Aviator helmet with goggles? For your daughter?” The woman repeated.

“That’s right,” Carol nodded.

“I’m sorry, you must not know that Wilbur’s don’t carry any female aviator helmets with goggles. We only have male ones for sale. Let me take you to the boys’ hats section right over here...”

Jennifer smirked as she followed Carol and the woman towards the boys’ hats and scarves. She watched the woman pick up a brown leather aviator helmet with goggles on a shelf and handed it over to Carol. 

“Be sure to let your manager know that Wilbur’s should really get on with the times and realize that girls can easily become pilots and sea captains, too,” Carol snapped. 

The department woman blinked and was at a lost for words. Jennifer quickly stepped over and thanked her for having such wonderful customer service.

**xxxx**

Therese had been stirring some chili into a saucepan in the kitchen the moment the Airds’ dropped Carol back home from their downtown shopping. She listened to Rindy gasping over the faint gravel crunching of footsteps; dropping her crayons hard on the table. She moved excitedly to come greet her mother at the front door in the foyer. “ _Mommy, Mommy! Did you find one? Did you find my hat?_ ”

Therese switched off the burner at the stove and left tonight’s dinner alone. She left the kitchen still wearing Carol’s apron and felt a rush of relief and joy hit her. She spotted Carol in the hallway, pulling a small leather aviator helmet with goggles out from a tissue paper box. Rindy bounced on her feet happily, clapping her hands. Carol grinned as she carefully set the helmet on top of her daughter’s head, which sunk low, covering half her face. 

“Thank you, Mommy! I love my helmet hat! It’s just like Amelia’s!”

“We will have to adjust the straps,” Carol said. 

“It’s heavy,” Rindy giggled. 

“How was shopping with Jen?” Therese smiled as Carol started to slip out of her fur coat.

“A migraine, per usual,” Carol answered. She stopped and kissed Therese gently on the lips. “Something smells good...”

“It’s the chili,” Therese said. “I found a recipe from one of your cookbooks.”

“Great. I’m starved,” Carol said, watching Rindy take off with her new helmet.

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve made up the name for the department store. I don’t think there’s ever been an actual Wilbur’s store in the state of New York :’)


End file.
